Two bodies have been found as part of a search for six people missing after the luxury yacht “Basian” sank off the coast of Sicily, a spokesman for the island’s civil defence has confirmed.
The Baysian, owned by the wife of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, had been anchored off the port of Porticello, near Palermo, with 22 passengers and crew on board when it capsized in a severe storm before dawn on Monday.
On Wednesday afternoon, green body bags were wheeled into Porticello Harbor, where dozens of emergency workers were waiting.
The Italian coast guard has previously not ruled out the possibility that the missing, including tech tycoon Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, may still be alive, with experts speculating that an air bubble may have formed when the yacht sank.
Among those missing are Morgan Stanley International Bank Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy Bloomer, and Clifford Chance Bank attorney Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda Morvillo.
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Fire brigade diver sources said they found two bodies inside the hull of the Baysian.
One of the bodies, identified as that of a man, was found underneath a mattress inside a shed near the hole drilled by divers, but authorities have not confirmed whether the body has been recovered.
The body of the yacht’s cook, Recardo Thomas, was discovered shortly after the ship sank.
The wreckage of the Bayesian lies on the ocean floor 50 metres (164 feet) deep off the coast.
Firefighters said the rescue operation was “complicated” with divers only being able to spend 12 minutes in the water.
An inspection of the yacht’s internal hull took place on Wednesday morning. Divers from the local fire brigade were seen going into the water with torches attached to their headgear, and a helicopter was dispatched to assist in the search effort.
Police boats and divers were seen in the water on Wednesday afternoon. – News Agency
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